ABSTRACT
Every search and optimization algorithm deals with solutions, each of which represents an instantiation of the underlying problem. Thus, a solution must be such that it can be completely realized in practice; that is, either it can be fabricated in a laboratory or in a workshop or it can be used as a control strategy or it can be used to solve a puzzle, and so on. In most engineering problems, a solution is a real-valued vector specifying dimensions to the key parameters of the problem. In control system problems, a solution is a timeor frequency-dependent functional variation of key control parameters. In game playing and some artificial-intelligence-related problems, a solution is a strategy or an algorithm for solving a particular task. Thus, it is clear that the meaning of a solution is inherent to the underlying problem.
